And now, employers will be able to opt to pay the $750 fine instead of thousands for the company plan, dumping everything on the government to pay.
Not sure it IS the government that pays, Bob...maybe, it just doesn't feel like it to the average Joe (or, Doug) who uses his health insurance once a year for a physical and has to take no Rx...I pay about $200/month for insurance, get maybe $150 worth of benefits every year for the physical...that leaves about $2350 of my premium to pay for administrative costs and for...yes, you got it, for the services others won't pay for.
Sure looks to me like I am getting screwed.
I would like it if the government would set up a tiered health care system, a neighborhood walk-in clinic for those who have no insurance with minimal services, perhaps immunizations and that sort of thing that have great impact on societal health in general...but with the provision that those who have no insurance are guided into services paid for by philanthropic organizations/individuals...or have to go without advanced services altogether.
Sorta hard lined, I know, but if we're going to cover every loser and leech out there, let's make sure we triage them to make sure they REALLY need care and then if society wants to pay for their treatment we can pursue philanthropic donations....after all, if we can contribute >$500,000 to a school bus aide who was taunted by junior high kids, SURELY someone out there would rather their donations were going to an "equally" worthy cause.
Romney said he didn't care about the poor in an early gaffe...I know what he meant, saw the entire exchange. His comment was meant to say that there are safety nets for the poor, ways they get taken care of when they can't afford the care they need....not that he just didn't care about poor people. I think his logical extension was a bit of a reach...that the rich didn't have any of those safety nets, so that was the group about whom he WAS worried (no surprise there).
When is somebody going to start worrying about the middle class (although I must admit I may aspire to have enough income to be middle class as that distinction receeds into the distance for someone like me on a fixed income)????
Cheers!
Doug